Duluth police Officer Jeffrey Keast ticketed 17-year-old Joseph “Joey’’ Carl for underage consumption the night of Aug. 5, then gave the boy a ride home after a breath test indicated that the teenager was legally drunk. Carl was cooperative throughout his interactions with Keast before he was released to his father...

Duluth police Officer Jeffrey Keast ticketed 17-year-old Joseph “Joey’’ Carl for underage consumption the night of Aug. 5, then gave the boy a ride home after a breath test indicated that the teenager was legally drunk. Carl was cooperative throughout his interactions with Keast before he was released to his father.

That’s what Keast, 30, told investigators, adding that before leaving Carl’s Norton Park home that night, he walked over to the couch where the teenager was sitting, shook his hand, patted him on the shoulder and told him it would be OK.

The policeman brought the kid home and he obviously had empathy for the kid's situation. During the second response the policeman backed up 210 feet trying to retreat from the bludgeoning of his car by the kid (AND, he did not have a duty to retreat), and I would imagine he reluctantly fired in defense of his life after the kid beat out the driver's window with the bat.

I do not believe anyone could question that this was a clean shoot by a responsible officer.

Too bad there's no way to bottle that type of attitude/behavior.

I sincerely hope that he is not plagued by mental demons over this incident. I do not see what he could have done to change the outcome, other than not respond at all.